WAY OF THE CROSS AND EUCHARISTIC BENEDICTION ON FRIDAYSPlease join us in church each Friday in Lent, beginning Friday, March 3, to walk with Jesus in the Stations of the Cross. Stations will be held at 6:30 p.m. in English and 7:30 p.m. in Spanish. Eucharistic Benediction is included in the service.

Follow in the footsteps of Jesus on the Way of Sorrows through this meaningful Lenten devotion, reflecting on the suffering of Christ and his great love for us, his people. Pray your way around the church, meditating on the beautiful Stations of the Cross reliefs created for our church in Italy about 75 years ago and restored just 11 years ago. This is a great faith opportunity for adults or families of all ages to pray together in a timeless Catholic devotion.

BIBLE STUDY SERIES TO BEGINOn Monday, March 6, Queen of Angels will begin a series of classes in English on the Holy Bible, hosted and facilitated by a number of parish catechists. We will meet every Monday night in Lent from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in the Lower Voss, 4412 N. Western. (The March 13 meeting will be just upstairs at the Parish Center.) The program will follow Jeff Cavins' highly rated DVD series, “The Bible Timeline: The Story of Salvation,” from Catholic publisher Ascension Press.

If you have ever wished to learn more about the Christian Sacred Scriptures, now is your chance! The program will involve a weekly talk on video by renowned biblical scholar Jeff Cavins, followed by questions, answers and facilitated discussion.

This series is free to anyone who wishes to attend. You can attend any session or attend them all, but you'll get more out of it by regular participation. Decide to make Scripture Study a part of your regular practice of prayer and spiritual encounter this Lent. In order to give us a clearer idea of the size of our class, please call the parish office at 773-539-7510 or send an email indicating your interest to Deb Madden at redpen55@att.net.

Due to the continuous snowfall, reduced visibility and hazardous road conditions expected, our CCD classes for Sunday, February 1 have been canceled. We hope this makes your Sunday safer and less rushed in the dangerously cold weather that is expected, and we apologize for any inconvenience due to the change in plans.

WELCOME TO THE TABLE OF THE LORD!Congratulations to the following children of the parish who celebrated their First Holy Communion at special Masses on Saturday, May 3. Please keep them and their families in your prayers as, strengthened by the Eucharist, they continue their journey of faith.

Queen of Angels School will be closed on Monday, January 27 and Tuesday, January 28 due to the extreme cold. This includes all after-school programs and activities, including athletics. School will be back in session on Wednesday, January 29. The "Muffins for Moms, Donuts for Dads" breakfast event at the school has been rescheduled from Monday morning to Thursday, January 30 at 7:45 a.m. After the breakfast, parents are invited to stay for the All-School Liturgy at 8:30 a.m. at the church.

On Monday evening, the Confirmation Preparation class, School Board Meeting and AA Meeting are also canceled. Intermural basketball games have been canceled by the league.

As of Monday afternoon, plans are for the parish office to remain open on both Monday and Tuesday for usual hours. No parish events for Tuesday evening have been canceled, as of Monday at 2:30 p.m.

Please check back here for updates during the day in case other events become canceled. You may also contact the head of the relevant parish group or call the parish office at 773-539-7510.

Queen of Angels School will be closed on Monday, January 6 and Tuesday, January 7 due to the extreme cold and snow. This includes all after-school programs and activities, including athletics.

On Monday evening, the Confirmation Preparation classand AA meeting are also canceled. The parish office is open in the morning on Monday but will close at 4 p.m.

On Tuesday, Baptism Preparation will still take place as scheduled. RCIA will be canceled but the church tourat 7 p.m. will continue as planned if any parishioners are interested and able to attend. The parish office will have regularly scheduled hours on Tuesday from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Due to the severe cold, additional snowfall and reduced visibility expected, our CCD classes for Sunday, January 5 have been canceled. We hope this makes your Sunday safer and less rushed in the dangerously cold weather that is expected, and we apologize for any inconvenience due to the change in plans.

The canceled class will not count as an absence on our attendance for the year. If you feel able to get to church, there will still be Mass at Queen of Angels at the usual times, but do use caution in traveling.

Please stay safe during the storm and enjoy the extra time with your families. We'll see our students at the next class on Sunday, January 12 from 10:45 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.!

WANT TO BECOME PART OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH? CHECK OUT RCIA!The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) is an opportunity to learn more about the Catholic faith. It is designed for those who have never been baptized or baptized with little or no affiliation or religious training in the Catholic faith, including those adults seeking a deeper experience of God's grace through the sacraments of First Communion and Confirmation.

The program is done in partnership with St. Matthias and Our Lady of Lourdes Parishes. Early sessions are informational meetings and no commitment is required. To register or for more info, call 773-539-7510 or e-mail parish@queenofangelschicago.org.

Weekly sessions, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesdays, start in October and continue through to the Easter Vigil, Saturday, April 19, 2014. A complete schedule of topics and locations follows below.

Please keep these junior high and high school students and their families in your prayers as they continue their journey of faith. Those who prepared them to receive the Eucharist include Msgr. Jim Kaczorowski, Pastor; Ms. Rachel Hohner, Coordinator and Catechist; Mrs. Monica Hohner, Program Assistant, and CCD Catechists, Mr. Matthew Herman and Mr. James Hohner.

THE YEAR OF SUNDAY MASS: Question of the WeekFaith professed must also be faith lived. During this Year of Sunday Mass, Question of the Week provides a guide for believers in developing that realization and in putting their faith to work. Based on the readings we hear at Sunday Mass, the questions serve as the spark for a discussion of faith at home, at parish meetings, in the classroom or as a personal reflection.

“While it was still dark...”By sharing in the Eucharist, how doI bring Christ’s ‘light’ to the world?

"Why do you seek the Living One among the dead?"

CHECK OUT RELIGIOUS EDUCATION Registration opens soon for Religious Education (CCD) classes. Families are invited to plan now for classes beginning in September. Classes are intended for children who are not attending a Catholic school, and they are available to children as young as Kindergarten. Sacramental preparation, such as for First Communion or Confirmation, forms a part of Religious Education, but there is so much more to learn during a child’s elementary school years. It is important for all children to have the chance to develop their faith and receive the sacraments as signs of God’s grace. To learn more, please call the Religious Education Office at 773-769-4986 ext. 15.

SSVD REFLECTION... Today as we celebrate the feast of Easter we find the challenge of also seeing and believing the resurrection that comes through our own lives of self-sacrifice which brings new life to others. In the month of March, through your gifts, the Society of St. Vincent DePaul was able to help the poor celebrate the joy of Easter, by assisting families through the Lenten Food Drive and providing assistance with winter clothing and utility bills. Thank you!

ALL ARE WELCOME! Are you new to our parish community? Welcome! Have you recently moved? May God bless your new home! Please visit or contact the parish office at 773-539-7510 or parish@queenofangelschicago.org to introduce yourself, register or adjust your existing registration. Thank you!

EASTER MONDAY CLOSING The Parish Center will be closed all day on Easter Monday, April 1. In the event of an emergency requiring the attention of a priest, call 773-539-7510.

Q OF A SCIENTISTS SOAR! Congratulations to our middle school students who attended the IJAS Regional Non-Public Schools Science Fair at the Museum of Science and Industry on March 9. These Queen of Angels School students and their parents invested time and energy to represent our school in an event that emphasizes the importance of science and science education in our community. These investigators placed better than any group sent in the past 12 years by securing five Gold and three Silver medals.-- Gold Medalists:Anna Borelli, Jonathan Dugard, Eddie McCarthy, Ian McKitterick and Alex Milne.-- Silver Medalists:Greta Fieweger, Aoife O’Brien and Kyra Sadovi. In addition, Kyra won a Special Award from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago for her project on lead in soil. Hearty congratulations and appreciation are extended to these scientific investigators! Keep it up!

HELP SCHOLARS WITH LYMAN FUND A growing number of families need assistance from the Lyman Scholarship Fund. Please help. Use the green envelope provided in each bimonthly envelope packet, or simply write “Lyman Fund” on an envelope and drop it in the collection so no child is denied a Catholic education. You can give to the Lyman Fund online! Visit parish.queenofangelschicago.org/give-central/.

BAKING OUR WAY TO SUCCESS All proceeds from the Third Grade Bake Sale will be donated to Rainbow Animal Assisted Therapy. This charity provides service dogs to people, especially children, who are ill or have special needs. The dogs help the children improve health, develop skills and provide a focus on comfort rather than the child’s illness. They even visited parishioner Blake Resendiz in the hospital. Thanks to parents, students and parishioners for making the delicious baked goods, visiting the bake sale and for making it such an overwhelming success. Your efforts helped us collect more than $650!

BOX TOP CHALLENGE UNDERWAY Please send in your Box Tops coupons and remind family and friends to do so. There are two contests this spring. 1) The Classroom Buddy Challenge teams younger classrooms with their older buddies. The top three groups will win pizza parties and books for their classrooms. 2) If the entire school collects more than 6,000 Box Tops, everyone gets a movie afternoon in May.

REST IN THE DIVINE PRESENCE Every Friday, the Blessed Sacrament is placed out for veneration and prayer from 9:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. To reach the Adoration Chapel, enter the church through the Claremont door, walk up the stairs, turn to the left and then to the left again. Walk down the passage behind the altar and enter the former baptistery where the Eucharist is exposed for veneration. Help us keep vigil with the Lord by making time for these moments of prayer; you’ll feel closer to God by resting in the divine presence. Please sign the book when you enter. Call 773-539-7510.

GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY MASS SET The Golden Wedding Anniversary Mass will begin at 2:45 p.m. on Sunday, September 22, at Holy Name Cathedral, 735 N. State St. Couples married in 1963 interested in attending the celebration should contact the parish office to register. Call the Family Ministries Office at 312-534-8351 or visit www.familyministries.org.

MISERICORDIA CANDY DAYS SET Volunteers are needed for Misericordia Candy Days on Friday, April 26 and Saturday, April 27. Funds raised will make a difference in the lives of the 600 children and adults with developmental and physical disabilities who are part of the Misericordia family. To volunteer, call 773-273-2768 or go to www.misericordia.org. To make $5 donation, text “MIS” to 25383. Your gift will be double-matched.

EVENING OF TRIBUTE AWARDS FOR USML AND MUNDELEIN SEMINARY The University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary will host the Annual Evening of Tribute Awards Dinner at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 16 at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers. Steve and Peggy Lombardo will be honored with the 2013 Francis Cardinal George “Christo Gloria” Award. Denis and Sondra Healy will be honored with the 2013 Joseph Cardinal Bernardin “As Those Who Serve” Award. All proceeds go to the “Holy Land Study Pilgrimage” and other seminary needs. For more info, call 847-970-4830, email mdiebold@usml.edu or visit www.usml.edu.

MOTHER-DAUGHTER TEA PROGRAM The Natural Family Planning Ministry of the Family Ministries Office of the Archdiocese of Chicago is sponsoring a Mother-Daughter Tea Program for 10-12 year old girls and their mothers. The program will be offered at April 21 at Catholic Charities, St. Vincent Hall, 721 N. LaSalle. The program is designed to acquaint the girls and their mothers with God’s gift of womanhood, and the changes they will experience as they mature. Afternoon refreshments and tea, and a confidential question and answer session will be included. For more information or to register, visit www.familyministries.org.

BE TRANSFORMED BY MARRIAGE ENCOUNTER Sign up today to attend the next Worldwide Marriage Encounter weekend April 12-14 in Burr Ridge; June 7-9 in Libertyville; or August 9-11 in Burr Ridge. Early registration is highly recommended. Call Jim and Kris at 630-577-0778 or www.wwmejoliet.org.

On this day we honor those who teach the Catholic faith. This year’s theme is “Catechists and Teachers as Agents of the New Evangelization,” recalling that those who lead others to faith are renewing the spirit of the Gospel within them. Please pray for all the catechists, teachers and coordinators who serve Queen of Angels by offering their gifts of faith to help others grow in their understanding of Christian life: